Isaiah 58:6-8 NIV
[6] “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? [8] Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness a will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard …
I love this passage about fasting in Isaiah 58! We spend so much time trying to figure out what to give up and how that we lose sight of what God, our Father, wants to give us. Remember, fasting is about giving up a certain type of food and using the hunger for that food as an alarm clock to pray. There are many ways to fast, many we talked about last week. This week, let’s focus on what God has declared that He wants to give.
1. Through fasting, God desires to give us freedom from the spiritual and physical issues oppressing us. The scripture talks about finding freedom from injustice and yokes. This means increased favor and liberty from addictions in our lives.
2. Increased vision, opportunity and empathy. Isaiah says that we will have opportunity to share with strangers and family during a fast. We are called to share things like food, kindness and compassion. When we fast our spiritual eyes become clearer and our ears more attentive to the ways we can serve the King!
3. Change! The Scripture says that light will invade the darkness and healing will quickly appear. When we fast, we set ourselves in a place to experience a dynamic and divine shift in the spiritual world that crosses over into the natural!
4. We are led and protected! I love this because we often talk about being led or protected but here verse 8 indicates both! The Lord will lead us in paths of righteousness and protect us as we travel His road!
Be encouraged, fasting isn’t about punishing ourselves, it’s about pulling the things of God closer to ourselves. Let’s pull together! Are you ready??? 1…2…3…PULL in Jesus name!